Voyage of the Dauntless (part 14 of 69)

a Original Fiction fanfiction by Al Kristopher

Back to Part 13 Untitled Document

“A Savage Battle: Jackal and Breathless are on Amazonia!”

            Amy Miracle calmly watched as Riene knelt down and removed her bandages.  She had asked the quiet redhead to stay behind so that she could understand the shaman who had volunteered to heal her, and Alala, her arms folded as she stood protectively in the corner, was there to act as bodyguard (and to be away from Yenae, too).  Amy was glad she had somebody so trustworthy and strong as a friend, and she shot Alala a sweet smile as her foot was bared and a trickle of blood trailed down her skin.  The shaman ran her finger along the strange scar carefully, muttering quietly as she slowly waved a decorative staff.  Amy had refused treatment, but the Amazonians insisted, proudly assuring her that their shaman’s magic could make her well.  The old woman looked up suddenly, touching Amy’s ankle, and barked harshly.  No doubt she was asking the same questions Fuuka had posed earlier, and Riene answered in kind.

            “She’s going to implore the earth-spirits to release this curse,” she explained as the shaman delved into a trance.  “She was quite adamant about her wording—a ‘curse’.  It seems that even physicians on this primitive world know that this is no ordinary wound.”

            “I don’t believe in curses,” Amy said.  “And I know what this scar is.  But she’s free to try, though I’m sure even her earth-magic won’t do much good.”  Riene relayed the message and stood by patiently as the elderly woman performed her ritual.  She burned incense, she threw bones, she placed her hands on the wound, she sang, and finally, she applied some ointment made from ground-up roots and leaves (which was probably more effective than all that other nonsense).  Amy grimaced doubtfully but she kept her thoughts to herself, at least until the shaman was finished.  She gave Miracle a look of eager expectation, which was not satisfied.

            “Tell her she’s only dulled the pain, and for that I thank her.  But this is my burden to bear for as long as God sees fit.  Tell her that.”  Riene sighed and spoke as instructed.  Alala drew closer, squatted down, and carefully took the foot in her hands.

            “All this fuss over a little scrape…hmm.  I wonder if the high priestess could do anything about this.”

            “Who’s that?”

            “A woman in charge of all religious ceremonies on my home planet,” she answered.  “They’re usually gifted with some supernatural power.  Unlike most of us, they’re usually not so frivolous when it comes to sex.  Of course, that only makes the others want her more.  The last one disappeared under mysterious circumstances when I was young, and I never found out who they got to replace her.  I should really go back someday.”

            “We can go once we’re finished here,” Amy said.  “Tigris isn’t that far, I think.  I bet your family will be glad to see you.”

            “That’s an understatement,” she muttered distantly.  “They’ll probably have a huge orgy or something to celebrate.  Of course, that’s what they do every day…”

            “We’d better keep Chandra away, then!” Riene laughed.  “Oh, by the way, Amy?  The shaman has just admitted that she can do nothing more for your condition.  This is the limit of her abilities.”

            “I thought as much.  At least she stopped the bleeding for now, and the pain is gone.  Let’s thank her for that at least.”

……

            Yenae didn’t realize just how many tenderhearted people were onboard, but she was personally glad the number was so high.  Admittedly, people like Naja, Lil, and the morally ambiguous Aseria tipped the scales in a deplorable direction, but more often than not, the people onboard the Dauntless were good at heart, if not misguided at times.  Case in point:  their most recent mission, which required the crew to stoop lower and lower into barbarism.  Most of the girls refused outright to partake in any of the tests, and either went back to the ship or stayed with Miracle and Alala.

            “Which is what I should’ve done,” Yenae muttered to herself, waiting patiently in the bracken for her prey to arrive.  While she had no issue with hunting for food, going out to kill two animals just to retrieve a treasure she didn’t even care about went against her beliefs.  Lillianne was the only one really interested in that silly medallion, so why should the rest of the team suffer?  Allegra, who was reclining next to her, cradling a sniper’s rifle, had said that it would “speed things along” if they all cooperated, but Yenae didn’t see why they were in such a hurry.  Amazonia was a breathtaking world and she wanted to spend every second next to sweet Alala.  Oh well…

            “It comes,” Athena whispered.  She signaled to the left and drew a bow the Amazonians had loaned her.  Despite her somewhat cute exterior, Athena was a warrior unparalleled, a master of weapons and a superb hunter.  She was as hardcore as they got and didn’t even flinch whenever Naja decided to direct her ire on her.  Somehow, she and the gentle Fuuka were linked together by strong cords, and loved and trusted each other implicitly.  That one was a rabbit and the other a fox made the relationship even more bizarre, but if it worked…

            She let loose her arrow with quiet precision; it barely even disturbed the still tranquility of the morning.  The saber-tooth cat they had been sent out to hunt collapsed and whined as the arrow shot through its forehead, and laid still as Athena, Allegra, and Yenae approached it.  Marliir sighed and stroked the creamy fur of the beautiful beast.

            “That was a good shot.  I guess now we haul this thing back to the village.  I don’t suppose we could get Rachel to—“

            “Ssh!”  Athena held up her hand and stood very still as she scanned the thick foliage.  Her ears were perked straight up and her nose wiggled as she tried to determine where the disturbance was.  Yenae slowly drew a handful of throwing-knives; Allegra squeezed the butt of her rifle.  “We’re surrounded,” Athena sighed.  Everyone reacted purely on instinct as a half-dozen saber-tooth cats jumped out of the forest, claws and teeth bared with the force of a wrecking ball behind them.  Allegra and Yenae hastily flung their weapons but Athena stole the show, dropping her bow and removing her treasured Murisato from its sheath.  She let out a husky, bloodthirsty battle-cry and flew into a berserker rage, carving everything in her path with a butcher’s ferocity and an artist’s finesse.  Yenae and Allegra were no slouches in battle, but even they did not want to be in the way of that whirlwind of steel.

            Allegra covered her face to filter out the stench and her own gag reflex.  She had killed people before, but she was precise and clean; this was messy and brutal, so far separated from the popular misconception of a “beautiful swordfight” that it would become the predominant scenario that all following battles were compared to.  Athena had shown a monstrous side to her but it only lasted as long as there were enemies to face.  When the last of the saber-cats were slaughtered, she shakily cleaned her blade, the adrenaline gradually residing away, and caught her breath until she was her usual aloof self.

            “That’s taken care of.  I guess in answer to your question, it would seem to be the best choice.  They’re too heavy for us to carry.”  Allegra’s mouth was wide enough to shove a fist through, and she dropped her rifle as she tried to grasp what she had seen.

            “Wha…what in the hell was that all about?  You just went plum loco on those poor critters!”

            “If I hadn’t fought them off, we’d all be dead now.  It was either us or them.”

            “I know, but…great horny toads, didja have to be so brutal about it?”

            “Sorry if I didn’t have time to make it more attractive,” she muttered.  Yenae sighed nervously and made a grateful gesture.

            “Well, before Allegra pisses you off anymore, I just want to thank you for saving us.  Now it seems we’ve went above and beyond what was required of us.”

            “Don’t you be makin’ light of this situation!” Allegra warned her as they left for the village.  “I know that was necessary, but’cha don’t have to pretend like it wasn’t no big deal.”

            In order to save time—for those concerned about it, anyway—the crew split up to take care of as many of the tasks as possible.  Allegra, Athena, and Yenae had volunteered to go after the cats while Rebecca, Sharyn, Lyara, and Fuuka went after the lizard-king, which they assumed to be a reptile of significant size.  Valti stayed at the village to be pampered and worshipped (it’s not every day these primitive women saw a six-armed person), and Kate remained as well, to be pampered and worshipped in a “different” manner.  The Amazonians were already thinking about electing Kate as their new chief once their current one served her ten-year term, and as strange as this nomination sounded, she had to admit that it sounded very attractive.

            Amazonia was so different from her home world of Utopia that it seemed she was living a different life.  There was life and beauty in abundance here, and she had already formed a kinship with most of the women.  They admired and praised her powerful body and respected her for her humility and quiet dignity—a far cry from other species that merely cringed at her in fear or disgust.  The chief herself—a strong-looking woman in her early forties covered with scars, tribal tattoos, and pierced jewels—agreed that Kate would be perfect to replace her and immediately started grooming her.  She even went so far as to offer her own daughter as a suitable life-partner, and Kate was very tempted to take her up on the offer.

            All sense of decency and restraint seeped out of Kate’s pores as she took the young Amazonian to bed and succumbed to her feral desires.  These people adored her and wanted her to lead them; she was nearly a goddess to them, and they showed no hint of subterfuge or deceit.  The young woman she undressed and covered with kisses and caresses was a magnificent, powerful, energetic creature, and she used her whole body to worship and pleasure her “future bride”.  Kate had wanted to save herself for somebody special, somebody who loved her and trusted her for who she was, and in a way, her wish was granted.  But now she could also obey that sinister shadow we all carry around with us, the part that urges us to fulfill our desires and obey our passions.  She loved and was loved in return, and the chief decided to join in, so enflamed was she by her successor.  Kate watched as mother and daughter made love and abandoned herself to their impatient embraces.  She quickly made up her mind that when morning came, she would stay in that paradise and forget about her life as a drifter.  It was her fondest wish.

……

            Meanwhile, the people who decided to return to the ship were making their way through the thick jungle, trying to remember the paths they had followed on their way to the village.  Kayleigh and Teleah Acheron proved invaluable for the hundredth time since the voyage began as they led the way, each sister peering in a different direction until they found their bearings.  Being professional pilots and navigators gave them a superb sense of direction, and once they ran into Shana, who was busily painting several breathtaking scenes, the journey became even easier.  She had perfectly memorized the passage and knew precisely where to go, and had only stopped because, in her words, there was no way she was going to pass up this opportunity.

            “Herut and Kyrie have already gone ahead,” she said to the sisters.  “They should actually be there right now.  I’ve written the directions down, so you should have no problems getting back.”

“Where’s Eve?  And what about Vimmy and Mink?”

“Eve’s taking a bath and Mink’s over there.  Vimmy went ahead with the others.”  She pointed to where a familiar gray-skinned woman was sitting quietly by herself.  She seemed to be just staring off in the distance, but actually, she was drinking the world in with her senses, and even smiling to herself, though it was difficult to see.  She appreciated the majestic, wild beauty of Amazonia too much to ruin it with sound and movement, and so she gazed at it, etching every detail into her mind just as Shana was.

“Will you be all right by yourself?” the sisters asked her.

“I’ll be fine,” Shana replied, smiling cutely.  “Mink and I became friends not long ago.  It seems we have the same interests.  She’ll protect me if there’s any danger.”

“So when do you think you’ll return to the ship?”

“I guess whenever the three of us are finished.  I still have a lot of painting to do, Mink has a lot of appreciating, and Eve said she’d take her time.  We might actually join her soon.”  The Acheron twins smiled faintly at the petite lady’s refreshing joy and wished her well.  Pure love sprang forth from that heart and they felt bad for taking up so much of her time.  They didn’t know why Shana insisted on painting landscapes from every world she visited, but they admired her love of art.  A few minutes later, Mink snuck a little closer to her new friend and watched as she painted.  Her smile grew a little bigger and she breathed in the rich aroma of the jungle.  But something else was here that wasn’t there before…

“Who’s there?”  Mink’s senses weren’t as sharp as Athena’s, but being the servant and bodyguard for Vimmy Fonester had given her special intuition.  The intruder was another Amazonian, beautiful and blonde and a little timid.  She crept towards the two girls and bowed awkwardly.

“Forgive me for my intrusion,” she said, speaking the Joffian language perfectly, “but are the two of you with that woman who claims to be a Queen?”

“We are,” Mink replied in turn.  She didn’t really expect to find anyone who understood her obscure language, but it was a relief nevertheless.  “Who are you?”

“I am Nalia, daughter of Nervasse, the guard.  Could I implore you to perform a large favor?”

“What is it?”

“Kindly pry this woman away from me.”  She blushed and pointed down, where Chandra was unmistakably embracing her legs, rubbing her cheek against Nalia’s thighs.  A dull flicker of surprise trembled on Mink’s face and she roughly unfolded Chandra’s arms until the two were separated.  Chandra wailed and begged to be reunited.

“I’m not trying to seduce her for my sake, I swear!  The Amazonians asked us to bring her into their fold.  All I’m trying to do is introduce her to the Sapphic delights.”

“What’s a Sapphic delight?” Shana said.

“The act of sexuality between two women,” Mink answered blankly.  She gave Nalia an unmistakable look of respect and nodded.  “You must be the deviant who likes men.”

“The same,” Nalia answered proudly.  “And while I bear no shame for my actions and choices, there are other matters I must discuss.  The Queen of our rivals has been raped and stripped bare, and was tied down on the ground for all to see.  I despise our chief for continuing this meaningless bickering, and this final act has pushed me too far.  I am already ostracized for my ‘illness’,” she spat bitterly, “and being so outspoken has caused me to be the focal point for their scorn.  I think that is why this sexual assassin was sent to me.  Stay away from me!” she yelled, kicking the air.  Chandra had nearly wrapped Nalia in her arms again but jumped away at the last minute.

“I do so love it when they play hard to get,” she giggled.  Nalia turned red with anger and drove her away before speaking with Mink again.

“In spite of everything, their honor has been violated and their treasure was taken.  As much as I would love to gloat, I cannot turn my back on the only family I have.  The Medallion that governs our destinies was stolen by a bird-goddess, whom my people sought to worship.  I know I’m imposing—“

“You want us to help you get it back.”  Nalia froze for a moment, relaxed her shoulders, and smiled feebly.

“It’s not asking too much?”

“No, we would be glad to help.  I admire your honor.  Shana, I am leaving now.  You may either go back to the ship or come with me.”

“Like that’s even a choice,” she giggled, standing up and walking over to join them.  “How else are you going to get anywhere without me?  But we need to find Eve first and tell her the news.”  Mink nodded and asked Nalia to be patient; she also asked Chandra to return to the ship, stressing the danger they were all in.  The frustrated pleasure unit wanted to stay and attempt to seduce Nalia again, but her sense of self-preservation overpowered her lust and she scampered quite willingly back to the Dauntless.  Surely to goodness she’d find a more willing soul onboard!

Eve Kasberry had a lot to think about while she bathed.  She was proud of herself for coming such a long way and for changing so much.  Originally she had been just as xenophobic and racist as her slimy senator of a father, but time, suffering, and circumstances changed her mind for the better, and being around so many people was gradually drawing her out of her shell.  She wasn’t quite at the level she wanted to be at yet, but she had made definite progress and was glad to be on the right path.  Just a little bit at a time…

She heard somebody splashing into the water and figured it was either Mink or Shana, or perhaps both.  While she regarded Shana as a fairly good friend—the first of many, she hoped—Eve didn’t know what to think of the cool, quiet Yun called Mink.  She reminded Eve an awful lot of herself, and she wondered if it would be possible to get close to her.  Despite Mink’s standoffish nature, she was very caring and compassionate, and an excellent person to go to for level-headed council.  The fact that she rarely expressed more than the slightest twinge of emotion still seemed to bother a lot of people, but Eve didn’t mind.  She decided that she would try her hardest to be friends with Mink and turned around, but saw the last person she expected instead.

“Nanette!”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know this…well, hello, Eve!”  It was Nanette all right—or rather the Jackal, the woman who offered her help back on Olria, only to turn around and betray them in the end.  Eve was a little afraid right now and not just because she was naked (of course, the Jackal was naked as well, and distractingly gorgeous):  this woman had proven to be deceptive, cunning, and untrustworthy—and what was she doing here, of all places?

“What the hell are you doing here?” she growled defensively, crossing her arms to shield her bosom.  The Jackal smiled sweetly and waded a little deeper, apparently proud of her own vulnerability.

“I’m taking a bath, of course.”

“You know what I mean,” Eve grumbled.  The older woman giggled and splashed water on herself.

“Oh, just sightseeing.  I heard Amazonia’s a haven for women.  Girls are treated like goddesses and men are kept as pets.  It’s practically paradise.”

“Cut the shit, you bitch, and tell me what’s going on.”

“I am cutting the shit, Eve,” she answered innocently, walking closer until every detail of her body was in plain sight.  Her skin was clear, pale, and almost flawless; her breasts were prominent mounds sweetly begging for a lover’s touch.  She had large, piercing, emotional eyes, and wild, dark hair that seemed as masterless as she was, cut short and simple to accentuate her womanly neck and shoulders.  There was definitely something fierce and even malicious about her, but in Eve’s presence, she was a maiden.

“So…you really just came for a vacation?”

“That’s the gist of it—but I’m surprised to see you here.  Let me wash your back for you.  Are you taking a break from repairs?”

“A break?” she quivered, as the Jackal walked around her, facing her back.  She laid her wet hands on Eve’s shoulders and silently began caressing.  “Uh…y-yeah, a break.  You could say that.  I…I guess I’m sightseeing as well.  I was actually…uh…almost ready to go to the ship.”

“With your friends.”

“Ahuh.  We might be leaving soon.”

“That’s a pity.  I was hoping we could catch up.”  Eve shuddered and released the moan she had been trying to keep hidden as she felt graceful hands caress the small of her back, where she was ticklish and sensitive.  The Jackal placed her mouth along Eve’s naked skin, softly kissing her nape and shoulderblades while Eve stood in defenseless rapture.  She knew she should not be consorting with this rival, let alone enjoying it, but it was clear the Jackal was infatuated with her, and if she should die in orgasmic joy, so be it.  What better way to go than in the heat and fog of eroticism?

“Eve?  Miss Kasberry, are you in there?”  She pulled away suddenly, feeling chilly and flustered and humiliated, and managed an affirmative.  It was Mink, calling out to her from a respectable distance.  “Something has come up, and Shana and I are going to investigate.  Would you like to come with us?”

“I probably should,” she answered hastily, wading over to the shore.  “I’m pretty handy with a gun, and you might need it.  Just gimme a second to dry off and get dressed.”

“Yes.  We’ll be waiting.”  Eve almost had one foot out of the water before her enemy turned her around.  The Jackal penetrated deep into her soul with dark, nightmarish eyes, leaving Eve powerless to move.  She couldn’t even wince as she felt the older woman’s nipples press against hers, or when she felt the woman’s hot breath splash against her terrified face.  The Jackal leaned in to kiss her, but only whispered to her, teasing her with promises to come.  Eve scampered away numbly and tried to find a place where she could be alone for a few moments.  Her heart calmed down in the meantime.

……

            The saber-cats and the lizard king—which turned out to be a dinosaur, of all things—were brought back to the tribe just as news came of the humiliation of their rivals’ Queen (Nalia had called it rape, though Lil and Naja claimed a different story).  When the chief heard that her enemy had been stripped naked and tied down in the middle of the street, she burst out laughing and congratulated her new friends.  Now all that was left was the seduction of Nalia.

            “I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Lillianne assured them.  “I don’t know of any sensible woman who could turn her down.  Hell, if it weren’t for Aseria…uh, hey, did I say that out loud?”  She giggled nervously and looked away from her lover.  Aseria had overheard it all but she didn’t feel negative—her devotion to Lil was too great to be swayed.  Besides, Lillianne was not the only lover she had taken in her life.

            “Before we go any further,” the Sindar said to her, “I think we need to see the medallion first.  All of this will be pointless if we can’t verify its actual existence.”

            “Shit, I should’ve thought of that,” Lil muttered darkly.

            “Oh, fuck yeah!” Naja roared, baring her lethal fangs.  “If we find out you made us work for nothing, Naja the merciless will stick your heads on pikes and send them to your enemies!”

            “They can’t understand you, Naja,” Lil murmured, though she did translate.  The Amazonians murmured amongst themselves in protest.  Naja was not a patient woman, and even though she knew they couldn’t understand her cold language, she screamed that if she didn’t see the medallion soon, she would start beheading people at random.  Finally two of them came forth, their heads bowed in shame.  They wailed to Lil and prostrated themselves on the ground—no interpretation was needed.

            “Damn it!  They don’t have it, do they?”

            “Not anymore,” Lil grumbled.  “It was stolen while we were away.”

            “Say what?!  How the fuck did they let it get stolen?  You said you were some fucking queen and they still didn’t give it to you—and now somebody just took it?”

            “Shut your fucking pie-hole and let me talk to them!” she snapped (Aseria wisely staying out of the argument).  Lil relayed Naja’s questions to the Amazonians and got an earful.  “Hang on, I can’t interpret all of that in a single go.  Let’s see:  well, they got another visitor recently, and guess what?  They all bowed down and worshipped her because she looked like some fucking bird goddess.”

            “This is why animism is so ridiculous,” Aseria sighed.  “Uh, sorry for interrupting.”  The Amazonian continued her story, and Lil continued translation, as thus:

            “Anyway, after they worshipped the bird-woman and made love to her…damn, and I thought cat-girls were nymphos…she apparently snuck out and stole their treasure.  The worst part is that they’re really not too pissed off about it, her being a bird-goddess and all.  Apparently she supercedes me.”

            “Sucks to be you, then!” Naja snorted.  “And since I don’t give two shits or a rat’s ass about your stupid treasure, I’ll just stay here for a bit of ‘animal worship’ myself!”  She laughed sharply and made gestures that she would forgive the Amazonians if they started administering to her as well—which they were more than happy to do!  But now Lillianne was down by another ally, and with her treasure stolen without any struggle, she only had Aseria to count on.

            “Maybe we should just let it be like that and go,” she sighed.

            “No,” Lil insisted as she stormed away from the enclave.  “The Medallion of Fate is a royal Mu treasure and I won’t see it in the hands of some fucking feathered skank.  I don’t care what I have to do to get it back.”

            “But you’re not really part of the royal family,” Aseria said as she laid her hands on Lil’s chest.  She leaned over and kissed her throat, not out of love but to persuade her.

            “So?  I’m the last survivor of Mu left in this rotten galaxy.  That alone makes me Queen.  Can I count on you one more time, Aseria?”

            “Of course, Lillith,” she whispered, using the woman’s true name.  “I will be by your side for as long as we both live.”

            “Then get that beautiful ass of yours in gear.”  She bent down to kiss her—not out of love but lust—and the two of them rushed through the thick vegetation in search of their treasure and the creature who dared call it her own.

Preview of next chapter:

Rebecca:  Darn it, we’re not even in this chapter!  What’s up with that?

Lyara:  Let’s face it, the popular characters can’t hog the spotlight all the time.  Some credit must be given to Lil and Aseria.

Rebecca:  Oh.  I guess I can understand that.

Fuuka:  The next chapter concludes the “Amazonian Trilogy” with a bang as the race to intercept Breathless rolls underway!  I wonder who will find her first, and if they can recover the medallion.

Rebecca:  Personally, I really don’t care.  I’m a little uncomfortable being the object of worship here.

Lyara:  Yeah, me too.  I guess it’s better than being outcasts, though…

Fuuka:  Am I the only person taking this preview seriously?  “Showdown on Amazonia:  the race for Fate itself!” promises to wrap everything up nice and neat!  Just don’t expect it to make any sense at all!  Trilogies are like that.

Rebecca:  Say Lyara, wanna go make out?

Lyara:  Well, I was saving myself for Rachel, but…why not?

Fuuka:  Like talking to a brick wall…

           

Note:  Nalia is a character from my amateur novel “Forever and a Day”.

Onwards to Part 15


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